The Billionaire’s Unexpected Proposal (Evelyn and Derek)

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The next morning, Evelyn sat at her desk, her fingers tapping restlessly against the cool surface as she stared blankly at her computer screen.

Her mind wasn't on work. It was far from it. She was thinking about Rayna. The image of her friend's tear-streaked face from last night haunted her, making it impossible to focus.

Rayna had always been the one with a level head, the one to offer advice and support. Now, seeing her like that, broken and vulnerable, made Evelyn feel utterly helpless.

She sighed and picked up her phone, dialing Raynas number again, hoping that this time she'd pick up. But once more, the call went straight to voicemail.

'Her phone must be off, Evelyn thought, biting her lip anxiously.

What was she supposed to do now? Rayna needed her, and she didn't know how to help.

As the minutes dragged on, Evelyn found herself spiraling deeper into worry. She couldn't shake the guilt that weighed heavy on her chest. Rayna had always been there for her- Rayna had been her rock. But now, when it was Rayna who needed support, Evelyn felt lost.

I have to do something, she thought. Maybe instead of giving Rayna space, she could swing by her place during her lunch break.

Even if Rayna didn't want to talk, Evelyn could at least check in on her and make sure she wasn't crying alone.

Glancing at the time, she pushed her chair back and stood up when she saw it was a few minutes before lunch break. As she grabbed her handbag and headed for the door, another thought intruded, one that had been lingering at the back of her mind for some days.

Liam.

He had promised to call her after he got back to Husla, but he hadn't. She had brushed it off initially, thinking he was probably busy, but now she wondered if it was because he was avoiding her.

The thought stung more than she cared to admit, and so without thinking, once Evelyn got into a cab, she pulled out her phone and scrolled to Liam's name in her contacts.

She hesitated only for a moment, her thumb hovering over the call symbol as she thought of what to say.

Liam had seemed so sincere when he confessed his feelings for her, and it made her wonder if she should bring up the awkward conversation they had. She shook her head.

No. She was not going to do that. It was best to leave that as it was. There was no reason to do so when he knew about Derek. She didn't owe him an apology for being with someone else. It wasn't like she was doing anything wrong by being with Derek.

Maybe she was reading too much into it. She just needed to check in to confirm that he arrived safely and see how he was doing. That was what friends did.

Taking a deep breath, she dialed his line and brought the phone to her ear, listening to the ringing tone. After a few moments, Liam picked up.NôvelDrama.Org holds text © rights.

"Hey, Evelyn, his voice came through the line, though it sounded distant, distracted.

"Liam, hi," Evelyn said, feeling a little awkward when she didn't hear the usual cheerfulness in his voice. "I just wanted to see how you're doing. You said you'd call once you got back, but I hadn't heard from you, so..."

There was a pause on the other end, long enough for Evelyn to wonder if the connection had dropped. Then, Liam sighed. "Yeah, I've been really busy. Sorry about that. Look, I'm in the middle of something right now, but I'll call you back later, okay?" Before Evelyn could respond, the line went dead. She blinked, pulling the phone away from her ear and staring at the screen.

Busy? Liam hadn't even given her a chance to say more. He had never hung up first, no matter how busy he was. The dismissal stung, even if he didn't mean it that way.

Concluding that maybe he needed space from her, she decided to respect that and let him be, hoping that he would come around lately. He was a nice friend, and she didn't want to lose their friendship.

Away from there, Liam leaned back on the couch in his apartment, staring at the phone in his hand. The lie had slipped out so easily.

He wasn't really busy- not in the way he'd made it sound. But he couldn't bring himself to have a proper conversation with Evelyn right now. Not after he had made a complete fool of himself.

He glanced around the apartment, the boxes still stacked against the walls. He hadn't even unpacked properly yet because he was still regretting his decision.

The truth was, he hadn't gone back to Husla as he told them. He had not traveled down for a conference either. He had applied for a job in Ludus and had moved down to be closer to her and Samantha. He had planned to surprise her, to show her that he was ready to be part of her life. But seeing her with Derek had crushed any hope he had. And now, he didn't know what to do.

Coming to Ludus had seemed like the right decision at the time.

He had thought that if he were closer to Evelyn, maybe she would be more willing to accept him when he told her how he felt, but instead, he had walked straight into a situation he hadn't anticipated.

He thought sadly that he had been such a fool to have assumed that Evelyn was still single and that maybe she had been waiting for him to make a move.

Even though she hadn't exactly introduced Derek as her man, when he saw her with Derek- the way they interacted, the way she looked at him-Liam knew he had been wrong. Evelyn wasn't single, and neither was she waiting for him.

A part of him regretted not telling her sooner. If he had, maybe things would have been different. Perhaps he wouldn't be sitting here, hiding out in an apartment in Ludus, avoiding her because he was too embarrassed to admit he had followed his heart moved and down here for her.

He was just going to have to keep avoiding her, he thought grimly.

That was the plan, at least for now. He didn't want to complicate her life by letting her know he was in Ludus. He didn't want her to feel guilty for turning him down or for choosing someone else.

He stood up, walked over to the window, and looked out at the quiet street below. Ludus was supposed to be a fresh start for him. But now, it just felt like a mistake.

He had made up his mind. He would stay out of Evelyn's way for now and focus on settling into his new life. Maybe with time, things would feel less awkward, and he could reach out to her again without the weight of his feelings hanging between them. For now, though, it was best to keep his distance.